The science of nutrient timing

In the first part of this article, I introduced the concept of nutrient timing and took a closer look at two of the key phases of nutrient timing: The energy phase and the anabolic phase. In the second part of this article, I will look at two more key phases of nutrient timing: the growth phase and the "rest of the day" phase.

Nutrient timing - the growth phase

After protein and carbohydrate intake during the energy phase and the anabolic phase, the net protein balance has shifted into positive territory. Muscle glycogen stores have been replenished, catabolism has been reduced and anabolism has been increased. Now it's time to think about how we can take this process further. Ultimately, all the damage has already been done and the acute phase of the response has begun to repair the damage, which means your metabolism will be running at full speed until tomorrow - so it's definitely time to eat something.

However, even though your body is in a remodeling phase, it will quickly return to its normal physiological function during the growth phase. In other words, this means that the growth window closes and we have to say goodbye to the increased insulin sensitivity. You can sit back and watch the levels of your muscle-building hormones drop. In addition, protein turnover will drop and reach a rate only slightly above normal.

During this slow return to "normal", it is important to stop eating high-glycemic carbohydrates and fast-digesting proteins. That's right, even though these foods were the anabolic superstars during the energy phase and the anabolic phase, you must abstain from them during the growth phase and the "rest of the day" phase. High insulin levels are great during and after a workout, but if your insulin levels are elevated throughout the day, your reward will be extra flab.

The "when", "what" and "how much" of the growth phase

Although the exact "when" during the bulking phase is a bit fuzzy, studies conducted at the University of Western Ontario have shown that as long as muscle glycogen levels are not severely reduced (which would be defined as depleting glycogen stores by more than 70%), carbohydrate and protein meals can help replenish depleted glycogen stores in less than 6 hours. For the sake of simplicity, I will therefore consider the growth phase to be a period of 6 hours after training.

During the growth phase it is important to continue to consume some protein and carbohydrates, however you should definitely start to reduce the total amount of carbohydrates consumed per meal while increasing the amount of protein per meal. While a carbohydrate to protein ratio of 2:1 was recommended for the energy and anabolic phases, a ratio closer to 1:1 would be optimal now.

You should also start chewing real food now instead of sipping drinks. If we assume that you drink a post-workout drink immediately after training and you train in the morning or early evening, then you will have enough time for two solid meals, which should consist of slower digesting protein (meat, cottage cheese, quark, yogurt, etc.) and low-glycemic carbohydrates (fruit, vegetables, beans, quinoa, etc.). If you train late at night, you're screwed - no, just kidding. If you train late at night, then you can just eat one meal and either have a midnight shake (casein and some oatmeal would be a good choice), or just skip the second meal of the growth phase.

How much you eat will ultimately depend on your goals. Once you have calculated your daily energy requirements, simply plan these meals into your daily calorie intake. Remember that the growth phase, just like the energy phase and the anabolic phase, is characterized by increased fat oxidation (even in the presence of a few dietary carbohydrates). Use this to your advantage by consuming the majority of your daily carbohydrate intake during these three phases.

Nutrient timing - the "rest of the day" phase

Those who have done the math will realize that the energy phase, anabolic phase and growth phase cover about 7 to 8 hours of your training day. During these 7 to 8 hours you will eat 4 meals. Assuming that you sleep about 8 hours a day, that leaves 8 to 9 hours and 3 meals. It is these 8 to 9 hours and 2 to 3 meals that I consider to be the "rest of the day".

Since the rest of the day is characterized by normal physiology, the food you eat during this phase should be adapted to what you know about your tolerance to carbohydrates and fats in your diet. Some will likely have a relatively poor carbohydrate tolerance and relatively low insulin sensitivity. As a result, these people should eat mainly protein and fats during the day. Others will do better with more carbohydrates. As a result, these people should eat more protein and carbohydrates during the rest of the day (although adequate fat intake and especially essential fats should not be neglected).

In my experience, most exercisers interested in maintaining a low body fat percentage will benefit from simply eating protein and fats (with vegetables) during the 3 meals of the "rest of the day" phase, maintaining a 2:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio during the energy phase and anabolic phase, and maintaining a 1:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio during the 2 meals of the growth phase (with some healthy fats allowed during the growth phase as well).

The "when", "what" and "how much" of the "rest of the day" phase

As already mentioned, the "rest of the day" phase is what remains after your training and the 6 hours after training. During this time, it is important to use what you know about your body to determine what you will eat, while your goals will determine how much you should eat. Some will get away with meals consisting of a few carbs, protein and a few good fats, while others will need to limit themselves to meals consisting of protein and fat combined with some vegetables.

Regardless of which group you belong to, you can assume that your muscle glycogen stores have been fully replenished during your energy phase, your anabolic phase and your growth phase and that you have done everything in your power to stimulate the growth and recovery process.

An interesting way to look at your food intake during a "nutrient timing" day is that during the 3 meals of the "rest of the day" phase you eat what an Atkins diet recommends, while during the growth phase you eat analogously to the Zone diet and during the energy phase and the anabolic phase you follow the type of diet officially recommended by organizations such as the DGE (German Nutrition Society).

Of course, this system was not designed to merge the three major nutritional directions, but to use what we currently know about training metabolism to meet your daily energy needs and thereby optimize growth, adaptation, performance and body composition. However, it's certainly interesting to see that the most effective nutritional strategy for athletes uses the best of the three most popular diets and finds a happy medium.

Wouldn't it be time to start using this information to support your training? If maximum muscle gain, increased athletic performance, positive changes in your body composition and a significant improvement in recovery are your goals, then I encourage you to give the principles of nutrient timing a chance.

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Source: https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/science-of-nutrient-timing-2

By John Berardi, PhD